JP2002185732A - Original reading and recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an original reading and recording device for shortening the recording time of images read from an original. SOLUTION: This device is provided with a control part 1 for erasing encoded images when a prescribed idle capacity is not present in an image memory 4 in the case of storing read original images in the image memory 4, encoding them and storing them in an image memory 12 and reading the original image from the image memory 4 when the original image is stored in the image memory 4 in the case of reading encoded data from the image memory 12.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an original reading and recording apparatus for encoding an image read for recording and storing the encoded image in an image memory.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A document reading / recording apparatus represented by a copier is used for editing a read image or for recording a plurality of copies one by one in a page order (sort sort function). Encodes the read image,
Once stored in the image memory. An image read by a CCD or the like is converted into image data, usually stored in an image memory in page units, sequentially read, encoded, and stored in the image memory. When recording an image on a predetermined recording paper, encoded data is sequentially read from the image memory, decoded, stored in the image memory,
Image data is sequentially read and recorded.

[0003]

However, in the conventional document reading and recording apparatus, when recording a read image, the read images are sequentially encoded and stored in an image memory, and then read from the image memory. Since the data is output, decoded and recorded, there is a problem that the recording start time is late. This problem becomes more prominent as encoding and decoding take time and the number of pages increases, since the first recording cannot be performed until all image data has been stored in the image memory.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and has as its object to provide a document reading and recording apparatus capable of shortening the recording time of an image read from a document.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a document reading and recording apparatus for storing a read document image in an image memory, encoding the read document image, and storing the coded image in the image memory. In this case, when there is no predetermined free space in the image memory, the encoded image is deleted, and when the encoded image is read from the image memory, the original image is stored in the image memory. Includes a control unit that reads a document image from an image memory.

That is, in the present invention, image data is temporarily stored in the image memory sequentially, and the image data is sequentially encoded and stored in the image memory until the free space of the image memory is exhausted. At this time, if there is no free space, the encoded image data is sequentially deleted. Then, when the image is recorded, if the image data remains in the image memory without being erased, the image data is read from the image memory and recorded without reading the encoded data from the image memory. As a result, it is not necessary to decode the encoded data, so that the time can be shortened.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the image recording apparatus according to the first aspect, further comprising an image recording unit configured to discharge the recorded paper with the recording surface facing upward,
The image recording unit records images sequentially from the last page of the document. That is, since the last page is more likely to have image data remaining in the image memory without being erased than the first page (first page), it is applied when recording from the last page.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, when the encoded data is read from the image memory, if the original image is not stored in the image memory, the encoded data is read from the image memory and decoded. It is stored in an image memory.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a document reading and recording apparatus. Here, the configuration of the facsimile apparatus F that performs a copying function equivalent to that of a normal copying machine has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. It may be a copier not provided, or a personal computer having a scanner function and a printer function.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes C for controlling the following units.
PU 2, a document reading unit for reading an image from a document, a CCD for converting light into an electric signal, 3 an image processing unit for controlling processing of a read image and a recorded image, 4 a image data for each page Image memory to store,
Reference numerals 5 and 6 denote a CODEC (encoding / decoding unit) for mutually converting image data and encoded data; 7, a printer constituting a recording unit for recording an image on a predetermined recording sheet; This is a printer control for controlling output of a video signal and the like. Here, two CODECs 5 and 6 are provided for dispersing the processing, but the present invention is not limited to this, and one may be provided.

The facsimile apparatus F has an operation display section 9 comprising an operation panel including a liquid crystal display, an LED and the like and various operation switches, a ROM 10 storing a control program and the like in advance, and a memory for storing various data. S
A RAM 11; an image memory 12 comprising a DRAM or the like for temporarily storing image data; a modem 13 for modulating and demodulating signals for facsimile communication; It is connected to the NCU 14 that controls connection to the line L.

When a read image is temporarily stored in the image memory 12 by the sort copy function, the image processing unit 3
The image data (image data) read by the CCD 2 and binarized are stored in the page memory 4 in page units, sequentially read, encoded by the CODEC 5, and stored in the image memory 12.

In the present invention, the CPU 1 constituting the control unit
Stores the read document image in the image memory 4,
In the case of encoding and storing the encoded image in the image memory 12, if there is no predetermined free space in the image memory 4, the encoded image is deleted. That is, image data is temporarily stored in the image memory 4 sequentially until the free space of the image memory 4 is exhausted, and the image data is sequentially encoded by the CODEC 5 and stored in the image memory. At this time, if there is no free space, the image data for which encoding has been completed is sequentially deleted.

When reading encoded data from the image memory 12, the CPU 1 reads the original image from the image memory 4 when the original image is stored in the image memory 4. That is, when the image is recorded, if the image data remains in the image memory 4 without being erased, the image data is read from the image memory 4 and recorded without reading the encoded data from the image memory 12. As a result, the encoded data does not have to be decoded by the CODEC 6, so that the time can be shortened.

On the other hand, when the coded data is read from the image memory 12, if the original image is not stored in the image memory 4, the coded data is read from the image memory 12, decoded and stored in the image memory 4. I do. That is, when the free space is exhausted and the image data is erased at the time of reading the image, the encoded data is read from the image memory 12 and the CO
The data is decoded by the DEC 6 and temporarily stored in the image memory 4.
The image data is read out and recorded by the printer 7.

The printer 7, which is an image recording unit, discharges the recorded paper with the recording surface facing up (face-up), and records images sequentially from the last page of the document. That is, since the image data is more likely to remain in the image memory 4 without being erased than the first page as it goes to the last page, the recording time can be particularly shortened when recording from the last page. The figure shows a case where a document of all two pages is recorded,
After the first page is recorded, the first page is subsequently recorded.

After the encoded data of all pages is stored in the image memory 12 and the images of all pages are recorded, the recording of the second copy and thereafter of the sort copy function becomes possible. Even when there is only one paper output tray, copying of a plurality of copies can be performed by arranging recording paper for each copy in the order of pages.

Next, FIG. 2 shows an example of a use state of the image memory 4. The image memory 4 is cyclically used in a ring format. Here, an example is shown in which image data for about three pages can be stored.
Normally, the image memory 4 can store about 20 pages of image data.

(A) After storing image data for two pages, if there is a predetermined free space, (b) storing the next third page. When the document has up to three pages, when recording, it is possible to read and record three pages of data from the image memory 4 without reading encoded data from the image memory 12.

If the original has up to four pages, and if the encoding of the first page has been completed, (c) the data of the first page is deleted and the fourth page is overwritten. When recording from this state, from the fourth page to the second page, the encoded data is read from the image memory 4 without reading the encoded data from the image memory 12 and recorded. Read the encoded data,
Decrypt and record. In this case, the decoded image data is stored in the image memory 4 after the recording from the fourth page to the second page is completed and these image data are deleted.

Next, the operation of the facsimile apparatus F will be described in the form of a flowchart. FIG. 3 shows the operation when reading an image (100 to 109). When reading is started, the free space of the image memory 4 is compared with the maximum storage amount (maximum image capacity) for one page, and if storage is possible, reading is actually started, and It is stored in the memory 4 (100-104). When the end of the read document is detected, the reading of one page is completed, and the used amount of the image memory 4 is stored (10
5,106).

On the other hand, the free space of the image memory 4 and 1
If the storage is impossible (N in 103), the oldest page in the image memory 4 is encoded (encoded), and the encoded page is deleted. The data is erased from the image memory 4 to increase the free space so that the image can be stored (108, 109).

When the reading of one page is completed, if there is no next page, the reading process is completed.
8, 109) are repeated (107).

FIG. 4 shows the encoding process. If there is data to be encoded in the image memory 4, the encoding is started, and when the encoding for one page is completed, the encoding end is stored (200 to 203). Note that the encoding may be started earlier than when a predetermined amount of image data has been stored in the image memory, in addition to when the image data for one page has been stored in the image memory. Also, if you can not operate in parallel with the print process,
When the printing process starts, the encoding process is forcibly terminated.

FIG. 5 shows the printing process. If there is data to be printed on the image memory 4 (Y of 300), the image data on the image memory 4 is read out, printing is executed, and the printed pages on the image memory 4 are erased (303, 304).

On the other hand, if there is no data to be printed on the image memory 4 (N of 300), the data in the image memory 4 is deleted (301), and then the encoded data is read out from the image memory 12 and decoded (decoded). Once stored in the image memory 4 (302), the image data in the image memory 4 is read out, printing is executed, and the printed page in the image memory 4 is erased (30).
3, 304).

[0027]

As can be understood from the above description, the original reading and recording apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention stores a read original image in an image memory, encodes the read original image, and stores it in the image memory. When there is no predetermined free space in the image memory, the coded image is deleted, and when reading the coded data from the image memory, when the original image is stored in the image memory, Since the original image is read from the image memory, it is not necessary to decode the encoded data, and the time corresponding to the decoding can be reduced.

In particular, according to the second aspect, the recorded paper is discharged with the recording surface facing upward, and images are recorded in order from the last page of the document, so that the image data may remain in the image memory without being erased. Recording can be performed in order from the last page having the highest possibility, and recording of all pages can be completed early.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, when the encoded data is read from the image memory, if the original image is not stored in the image memory, the encoded data is read from the image memory, decoded, and stored in the image memory. Since the image data is stored, correct recording can be performed even when the image data is erased from the image memory.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a document reading and recording apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a use state of an image memory.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the document reading and recording apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing another example of the operation of the document reading and recording apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing another example of the operation of the document reading and recording apparatus of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 CPU 2 CCD 4 Image memory 5, 6 CODEC 7 Printer 12 Image memory

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Tomoyuki Honda 136 Takeda-Mukoshiro-cho, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto Murata Machinery Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 5C073 AA02 AA06 AB07 BB07 BC01 CC03

Claims (3)

[Claims] In a case where a read original image is stored in an image memory, encoded and stored in the image memory,
When there is no predetermined free space in the image memory, the coded image is deleted, and when reading the coded data from the image memory, when the original image is stored in the image memory, And a document reading and recording device including a control unit for reading a document image from an image memory. 2. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an image recording unit configured to discharge the recorded paper with the recording surface facing upward, wherein the image recording unit records the images sequentially from the last page of the document. Document reading and recording device. 3. When the encoded data is read from the image memory, if the original image is not stored in the image memory, the encoded data is read from the image memory, decoded, and stored in the image memory. 2. The document reading and recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: